McDonnell and Woodman share Westcoast Pro-Am title
29/07/2021
Both Chris McDonnell and Guy Woodman produced four-under-par rounds at Bearwood Lakes to share the individual trophy at Wednesday’s Westcoast Pro-Am.
The Westcoast Pro-Am at Bearwood Lakes is the largest PGA Pro-Am event on the calendar, featuring a huge field of 204 players, with 51 professionals vying for the £20,000 first prize, the largest first prize for a one-day UK pro-am event.
Over the 6,752-yard layout, it would be Golf at Goodwood’s Chris McDonnell and ProAgenda.com’s Guy Woodman that would claim a share of the pot, picking up £11,500 each for their efforts.
McDonnell, who sits fourth in the CK Facilities Management PGA South Region Order of Merit, would have a contrasting round to Woodman. Starting on the back nine, he would make four birdies in his first eight holes, before a bogey at the last would secure a three-under-par front nine of 33.
A birdie at the first (his 10th) put the 39-year-old to four-under for his round, before eight consecutive pars meant he would set the clubhouse target at 40-points.
Woodman, who also started his round on the back nine, and just four groups behind McDonnell, began well with a birdie at his opening hole. However, a bogey at the difficult par-4 15th resulted in a level-par front nine for the 44-year-old.
It was the back nine where Woodman would make his move, with four birdies in six holes putting him at four-under-par for his round, and although he made bogey at the par-4 seventh, he would birdie the par-3 ninth to pull alongside his competitor at four-under-par and a 40-point total.
The victory was McDonnell’s first win of 2021, with the Westcoast Pro-Am his sixth title in 110 starts. In contrast, Woodman, who sits one spot head of McDonnell in the Order of Merit, would make it a hat-trick of pro-am titles for 2021, adding the Westcoast Pro-Am to his Dartford and Woodcote Park Pro-Am victories.
Finishing one shot behind the duo was Simon Lilly of De Vere Staverton Estate and Simon Khan of Marriott Hanbury Manor Golf Club, with Khan producing a classy hole-out eagle at his very last hole to get to the three-under-par total.
It wasn’t just in the individual event that Woodman was successful. His team of Malcolm Wager, Chris Kirkness and Colin Braid shot 88 points to claim a three-point victory over the other teams, captained by Khan, Paul Nessling (Sedlescombe), Anthony Tarchetti (Chart Hills) and Simon McGreal (Bradfield College).
Writing on Twitter after the event, Woodman said: “Thanks to @bearwoodlakes for hosting yet another amazing Pro Am - the course is second to none. Thank you to everyone involved for making it such a great event @PGASouth”
